THE SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL SCENARIO OF THE KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, IN THE EARLY DECADE OF THE 20TH CENTURY Muhammad Sohail Khan Abstract The paper explores the socio-educational scenario of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, then N.W.F.P during British rule, and explains how wretchedly this province was treated in education. Before its establishment in 1901, being part of the Punjab province, the five districts that are Peshawar, Hazara, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat and Bannu were the most backward amongst 31 districts. Similarly, the province was the last in education amongst all provinces of the India.Pashtuns, were ignored in education by the Britishers, due to their geo- strategic location. It was the gateway of the invasions, so there must have been no or low resistance in the strategic way of it, which needed illiterate subordinates. Their energies were diverted towards other social multiplicities, detached them from trade, commerce, business and decision making stakeholder ship. Several primary schools in the province were offered to be established after successful participation of the villagers in the World War 1. Key words: Socio-educational, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20th Century Introduction The Indian North-West Frontier region was faced with multifaceted issues, including social and educational during the 19th Century.1 The British annexation of the Punjab, in 1849, brought them in direct contact with the inhabitants of Pashtun land. For this region, they Assistant Professor Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan 128 devised rather revised their policy and initiated the concept of Tribal and Settled areas with their sole objective to serve their ulterior motive of civilizing this uncivilized race. The Pashtun race was called as ‘Martial’ but in a time when they needed their services2, yet they were considered ‘Savage’ and divinely ordained with the inability to be ruled by the White Man, and Rudyard Kipling was very much active in propagating the deserving authority of the British Raj as the Britishers were thought to have been divinely appointed to rule the inefficient and irresolute Pathans. The coming years witnessed the passage and approval of the FCR in the British parliament, and which is, unfortunately, existing till present day but in a slight modified manner. The second Anglo-Afghan war, the treaty of Gandamak, the forward policy of Lord Litton (1876-1880) and supported by Lord Rippen (1880-1884), strengthened their place in the Indian North-West Frontier Region. After that, Amir Abdul Rahman Khan, the Afghan Ameer during 1880-1901, settled his boundaries with Russian Empire and was desirous to move in the same direction of the British Indian government. Initiated at his request the British government sent a mission under Sir Mortimer Durand and concluded the boundary agreement as and how they wished for in 1893. Ameer Abdul Rahman Khan halfheartedly accepted the agreement and then concentrated on internal stability of his country. The famous Frontier uprising set this region ablaze and from South and North Waziristan through Mohmand and Kurram up to the Malakand and Chitral, the whole Frontier region turned against the Raj. Mullah Paiwanda, Mulla Siad Akbar, Hadda Mulla, Sartor Faqir and Akhund of Swat rose in open revolt after the famous Maizer incident.3 With the arrival of Lord Curzon as viceroy to India, in 1899, the process of re-formation started and the settled areas of the Indian North- 129 West Frontier region were grouped into a province in 1901. The region was lagging behind in the educational, political and social fields. According to then educational records/census report, there were only 17 high schools, no middle school and 135 primary schools in the province. Interestingly, all these schools were not under the direct control of the regime.4 Yet there existed other parallel systems of education in the region. They were affiliated with Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam, Missionary schools (Christian), the Islamic schools of Haji sahib of Turangzai and the DB (District Board) Schools run by the district boards-independent from government authorities. Similarly, we notice eleven Dar-ul-Ulooms purely run and funded by the religious multitudes of the province which operated till 1947.5 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa formerly (North West Frontier Province) has a long and unique chronicle, which is molded by its significant Geo strategic nature. It is the junction of three significant geographical areas like Asia- South Asia, Central Asia, and China. It remained part of the Sikh Kingdom of Punjab. The settled area of the province remained part of the Punjab Province until it was made a separate province in 1901 during the tenure of Viceroy Lord Curzon and named as North West Frontier Province.6 There were five settled districts at the time of formation, namely Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, and Dera Ismail Khan. The agencies of Dir, Swat, and Chitral; the Khyber Agency; the Kurram Agency; the North Waziristan Agency; and the South Waziristan Agency were also linked as part of political agencies beside the narrow line of territories which separates the tribal and settled belt called Frontier Regions FRs. The FRs were not part of the province, but have been connected to the adjoining settled or administrative districts for administrative purposes. 130 According to Mehmood, S (1973), the agencies of Swat, Dir, and Chitral included the princely states of Chitral, Dir, and later the newly Swat state, as well as the Malakand Protected Area or as it is commonly called the Area of the Malakand Agency. The areas of Kala Dhaka now Tor Ghar and Kohistan area were defined as part of the provincially administered tribal area (PATA). Under the Interim Constitution of Pakistan, 1972, and their status was retained in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.7 Before the formation of NWFP, The Districts of Peshawar, Kohat, and Hazara were under the direct control of the Board of Administration at Lahore. However, they were formed into a regular division, under a commissioner, in about 1850.The territories of the, then districts of Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan were put under one deputy commissioner, forming part of the Layyah division, till 1861 when two deputy commissioners were appointed and both districts were included in Derajat division.8 This administrative structure continued till the formation of the NWFP now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The new province of North West Frontier Province was formed on 9th November 1901, on the same date, on which the British king was born. The inaugural ceremony of the province was held on the 26 April 1902 by Lord Curzon, in a big procession of 3000 in the Shahi Bagh, Peshawar.9 According to Olaf Caroe10, the creation of the new province puts a solution to the Pakhtun concept and demand of oneness, beside all other things. He commented that “It did something to get together the districts and the tribal territory” The first type of administrative structure of the province was as; 1. Peshawar District with headquarter in Peshawar 2. Hazara District with headquarter in Abbottabad 131 3. Kohat District with headquarter in Kohat 4. Bannu District with headquarter in Bannu 5. Dera Ismail Khan with headquarter in Dera Ismail Khan The present study has focused the above regions in the field of educational promotion and their impact on the society, however studying the role of Anjuman-i-Islahul Afghana in the entire region, the educational institutions established under the umbrella, will be studied in detail. Education never remained the priority of the British rulers for one reason or other in this part of the subcontinent. The negligence was attributed to the Punjab government’s pre- occupation with the problem of security, law and order than with other, administrative matters. Besides, the subordination of administrative developments into strategic consideration by the British authorities remained a root cause of slow progress.11 The Frontier now KP districts made very little progress in education. The department of Public instruction of the Punjab took place in 1854, when it was put under a Director. Educational institutions were made under the new system in Punjab; however, the frontier districts were ignored. Amongst the 31 districts of the Punjab, the five Frontier districts were by far the least advanced in regard to education in 1901, when the NWFP came into existence.12 The total expenses that were made in education in 1902-03 were only Rs. 29,937. Punjab’s attitude was considered as a stepchild in the frontier region, as portrayed by Sir George Ross Keppel (1911) in these words.“……Very little interest was taken in Pathans education by the Punjab government, which always looked upon the trans- Indus tract more as a stepchild than as a child”.13 The table shows the number of educational institutions14 in different provinces of the Subcontinent from 1901-02. 132 Table-1.1: Number of educational institutions in different provinces of the Subcontinent from 1901-02. Name of the province Total number of schools Madras 19093 Bombay 8219 Bengal 45922 East Bengal 2776 United Provinces 6773 Punjab 2257 Burma 3927 Central Provinces 3035 NWFP 154 Source; NWFP Gazetteers 1914 The number of schools, in NWFP, shows the attitude of the authorities towards education and social upheavals of the masses of the region. This educational despoil also made a significant effect on social, economic and even on constitutional developments. The reforms in 1909 were not introduced in the then NWFP, on the plea, that the Frontier people were backward and uneducated.15 Socio-educational background of the province According to the census report of the 1921, the total population was 50, 76,476. Out of it, 93 percent were Muslims. The remaining 7 percent inhabitants were non-Muslims16. Hindus were in high proportion, followed by Sikhs and Christians.